Knives Out (2019)

It isn’t often that I get to write a review for a film that is yet to be released, but when it does happen, I take the responsibility very seriously. I will thus do my best to review this film without giving too much away, particularly as the film is a mystery, or a whodunnit, and any spoilers would ruin your potential enjoyment of the film as a whole.

Family patriarch Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) is found dead in his study the morning after his 85th birthday. The family believe it to be an open-and-shut case of suicide, though investigators believe there may be more to the story.

Harlan was one of the most successful mystery writers in the world, having sold millions of books in numerous languages, and he had amassed quite a fortune, which the entire family are all waiting eagerly for their share of at the reading of the will.

Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer), flanked by daughter Linda (Jamie Lee Curtis) and son-in-law Richard (Don Johnson).

But private investigator Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) has been hired - anonymously - to investigate the death. He shows up at the family home - a huge mansion in the country - along with Lieutenant Elliott (LaKeith Stanfield) and Trooper Wagner (Noah Segan) and questions each of the family, including the staff, to try to get to the bottom of Harlan’s death, which brings up more questions than answers.

From daughter Linda (Jamie Lee Curtis) and her husband Richard (Don Johnson), and their son Ransom (Chris Evans) to son Walter (Michael Shannon) and daughter-in-law - married to Harlan’s late son - Joni (Toni Collette), and Harlan’s personal nurse Marta (Ana de Armas) and even the housekeeper, absolutely everyone is under suspicion.

I really mustn’t say more than that, as even the smallest additional comment on the plot or the characters would reveal too much. However, there are plenty of things I can discuss.

Ransom (Chris Evans).

The screenplay, written by director Rian Johnson, is absolutely brilliant, filled with twists and turns galore to keep you guessing right up to the very end. The dialogue is very clever, and the film’s conclusion so ingenious, it will surely leave you very satisfied. Every character is very well-defined, with plenty of backstory, and so many internal and external conflicts. The script is also peppered with plenty of humour, and it is humour of the clever, intelligent variety, rather than a humour that panders to the lowest common denominator.

Nathan Johnson’s score is equally exceptional, right from the very first note - strings playing in a minor key as the mansion looms in the background - through to the end. The film feels at no point overscored, but rather, the music just seems to fit each and every moment in which it is used.

The film’s cinematography is, in a word, stunning. The use of light and dark, and the contrast thereof, is the work of cinematographer Steve Yedlin. Yedlin seems to have an amazing eye for framing and shot composition as well as lighting, and the film is visually breathtaking from the first frame to the last.

Private investigator Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig).

David Crank’s production design is fantastic, with all the sets and locations transporting the audience right into the middle of the film’s world. Every single part of the sets and locations feels as though it has been pored over in incredible detail, but at the same time, feels so right as to seem purely natural, the true mark of a brilliant designer.

The performances of the entire cast are also fabulous, with clear standouts being Chris Evans and Ana de Armas. Oh, and Daniel Craig is exceptional as Blanc; his vocal work being one of the more impressive parts of his character. It doesn’t feel right singling out these three performers, as absolutely everyone is brilliant in their respective roles, but it is these three who I feel give something we haven’t seen from each of them before.

Director Rian Johnson has made one of the year’s cleverest films with this offering, one I would be glad to see again (even if it meant paying full price admission). You absolutely must see this film, preferably on the big screen with a large audience; you will definitely thank me for it.

10 out of 10.

(Knives Out opens in theatres later this week. Check your local guides for more information).